Macromedia Flash: Importing Objects

Add your own elements to your Flash movie! Learn how to import photos, graphics, audio and video into the library. NOTE: Copyright laws still apply to all media.

In Flash, you are able to import audio, video and images. All of your imported objects will be placed in the library (whether you import directly to the library or to the stage).

To import images, go to File > Import > Import to Library (If you wish to place an object directly onto the stage in the current layer and frame, choose Import to Stage). Flash will import .AI, .BMP, .EPS, .GIF, .JPG, .PCT, .PNG, .PSD, .TIF, .WMF and other image formats.

Select the images you would like to import and click OK. You will find all of your imported images in the Library panel. To add an image to your canvas, select the image and drag it onto the canvas. Use your arrow keys or the X and Y coordinates to move the image around the canvas. If you changed an imported image outside of Flash in Photoshop, for example, you can update the image instead of importing it again. Right click on a file in the Library panel, select “Update…” and click Update in the dialog box. When Flash has finished the update, click Close.

To import audio, go to File > Import > Import to Library. Flash will import .MP3, .WAV, .AIF, and .AU audio formats. To apply an audio file, select or create the keyframe where you would like the audio to start. Select the keyframe in the Timeline, and choose your desired audio clip from the Sound drop down menu in the Properties panel. In the Properties panel, you can also change the loop (repetition), fade in, fade out, or customize fading effects. To stop an audio file, select or create a keyframe where you want the audio to stop. In the Properties panel, select the audio that would be playing and choose Stop from the Sync drop down menu or choose Fade Out from the Effect drop down menu.

To import video, go to File > Import > Import Video. Flash will import .MOV, .AVI, .MPG, .MPEG, .DV, .DVI, .WMV, and .FLV video formats. If the video file is on your computer, enter the file path. If the video file is on a web server, select the “web server…” radio button and enter the full URL. Select Next. In this tutorial, we recommend you select the “Progressive download from a web server.” Choose the desired video quality. In this tutorial, we will choose Flash 8 Medium Quality (400kbps). Choose Next.